Lyr Req: Sugar Hill

Subject: the song "sugar hill"
From: maynard
Date: 19 Dec 98 - 11:51 PM

hi all...

does anyone know the words to the old song, sugar hill...and if so, how can i get them...

thanks...

maynard

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: the song
From: Allan S.
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 10:21 AM

Tom Paley sang a verse that went

If you want your eye knocked out,
If you want your fill
If you want your eye knocked out go to sugar hill

Sorry I cant remember the name of the song, but sugar hill was suposed to be the rough part of the town.

Subject: RE: the song
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 11:43 AM

It's a variation on "Poor Liza"; some more standard verses are: Grab your banjo off the wall Get your guitar, Bill Hitch your horses to the sledge We're goin' to Sugar Hill

Possum up a 'simmon tree Raccoon on the ground Possum up a 'simmon tree Shakin' 'simmons down.

Add your own floaters.

Subject: Lyr Add: SUGAR HILL
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 10:04 PM

Chicago folksinger/banjoist used these "floating verses" when he recorded "Sugar Hill" for Folk-Legacy. He told Norm Pellegrini that he might have learned the song from Dock Walsh (remember the Carolina Tarheels?), but he was unable to remember for sure.

You want to get your eye knocked out,
You want to get your fill,
You want to get your eye knocked out,
Go to Sugar Hill.

Get a lonesome farmer, gal,
I want a drink of rye;
I'm a-going to Sugar Hill
Or know the reason why.

Possum on the rail fence
Looking at the sun;
Hound dog coming down the road,
Possum better run.

Possum up the 'simmon tree,
Raccoon on the ground;
Possum up the 'simmon tree
Shaking 'simmons down.

Fourteen miles of mountain road,
Fifteen miles of sand;
If ever I travel this road again
I'll be a married man.

Get your banjo off the wall,
Grab your fiddle, Bill;
Hitch the horses to the sleigh,
We're going to Sugar Hill.

Well, I don't want no drover gal
Drives a four horse team;
All I want's a pretty little girl
Turns her wheels by steam.

And just about any similar quatrain will do. I doubt that anyone would object that you were doin' it "wrong."

Sandy (Folk-Legacy's resident folk fogey)

Subject: RE: the song
From: DonMeixner
Date: 20 Dec 98 - 11:00 PM

"Woods Tea Company" has avery nice version of this tune on CD, Woods Tea Company also has a site on aol. send your search engine in that direction.

Don

Subject: RE: the song
From: Songbob
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 12:16 AM

My memory tells me that "Sugar Hill" was the red-light district of, what, Dallas? Ft. Worth? Can't remember that part. "Dad" Crockett had the best recording of that I ever heard.

Bob Clayton

Subject: RE: the song
From:
Date: 21 Dec 98 - 12:30 PM

Sandy- One of us has landed in the wonderful world of Mondegreen. I alwas heard it: "Gettin lonesome for my gal.." Ah folk. Ah Process

Subject: RE: the song
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 22 Dec 98 - 04:40 PM

I'm sure that the Earl o' Murray sang it your way. I took the text from Norm Pellegrini's notes. I don't know if the "lonesome farmer" line was given to him by Fleming, or if he transcribed the text himself, straight from the Lady Mondegreen's mouth.

By the way, have you read Sandy Ives' fine study of the Earl o' Murray -- Sandy's latest book? Good stuff!

Sandy

Subject: RE: the song
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Dec 98 - 01:26 AM

Sandy- Mr. Ives book is named what? And published by whom?

Subject: RE: the song
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 23 Dec 98 - 02:24 AM

The Bonny Earl of Murray - Dr. Edward Ives; University of Illinois. $21.95 at Amazon, I think. Studies the ballad and explores the history of the murder. Written in that wonderfully unpretentious style of Sandy's that makes you feel that you're talking with him over a cup of coffee at the kitchen table. All scholars should be able to write like that!

Sandy (Paton, that is)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sugar Hill, Soldiers Joy lyrics?
From: Stewie
Date: 08 Mar 01 - 11:41 PM

There's some for 'Sugar Hill' at the Fiddler's Companion site. You will need to scroll down the page until you find 'Sugar Hill'.

Click Here

--Stewie.

---

SUGAR HILL. AKA and see "Sailing on the Ocean." Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia. D Major. ADAE. AABB. The song has African-American roots and 'Sugar hill' is said to signify the 'wild part of town', the red-light district. Tom Paley says The title appears in a list of traditional Ozark Mountain fiddle tunes compiled by musicologist/folklorist Vance Randolph, published in 1954. The tune has come to be identified with Galax, Va., style string bands and it has also been described as a Surrey County, North Carolina, classic number.
***
Five cents in my pocket change, two dollars in my bill;
If I had ten dollars more I'd climb old Sugar Hill.
***
Possum sittin' on a 'simmon tree, cider's in my mill,
And if I had ten dollars more I'd climb on Sugar Hill.
***
If I hadn't no horse to ride, I'd be found a-walkin',
Up and down old Toenail Gap, you can hear my woman talkin'.
***
Jaybird and the sparrow hawk, they had a fight together,
They took all around the briar patch, went to it down to a feather. (all the above from Tommy Jarrell)
***
Squirrel's got a bushy tail, Possum's tail is bare,
Rabbit ain't got no tail at all, just a little old piece of hair.
***
Possum up a simmon tree, raccoon on the ground,
Raccoon says, "Hey, Possum, won't you toss them simmons down."
***
I'm getting lonesome for my gal, I want a drink of rye.
I'm going on to Sugar Hill, or know the reason why!
***
If you want to get your eye knocked out, if you want to get your fill,
If you want to get your eye knocked out, go on to Sugar Hill.
***
The phrase 'getting your eye knocked out' refers to copulation, according to Tom Paley. The Virginia Mountain Boomers (vocals by Ernest Stoneman) recorded a song called "Sugar Hill," which is actually the song "Devilish Mary" with the chorus of "Sugar Hill" tacked on. Sources for notated versions: Fuzzy Mountain String Band (North Carolina) [Brody]; Tommy Jarrell (Mt. Airy, North Carolina) [Jack Tuttle/Fiddler Magazine]. Fiddler Magazine, Spring 1995; pg. 28. Kuntz (Ragged but Right), 1987; pg. 303-304. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 269. Biograph 6003, "The Original Bogtrotters." County 534, "Round the Heart of Old Galax, Vol. II." County 2702, Tommy Jarrell & Fred Cockerham - "Tommy and Fred." Heritage 054, The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers - "Brandywine '83: Music of French America" (1984). June Appal 0067, Roan Mountain Hilltoppers - "Seedtime on the Cumberland" (1992). Marimac 9000, Dan Gellert & Shoofly - "Forked Deer" (1986. Learned from Fields Ward "and elsewhere," slightly different than Tommy Jarrell's version). Rounder 0035, Fuzzy Mountain String Band- "Summer Oaks and Porch" (1973. Learned from Tommy Jarrell). Rounder CD 0371, Mac Bendord and the Woodshed All-Stars - "Willow" (1996).
T:Sugar Hill
L:1/8
M:2/4
S:Kuntz - Ragged but Right
K:D
a>g fd/e/|fe d(a|a)a/b/ a/f/d|B>A Ba|a3 g|f/d/e/c/ d(d|d)d/B/ AA/B/|d>B d2:|
dd f>e|f/d/e d(d|d)d/e/ f/e/d|B>A B(d|d)d f>e|f/d/e/c/ d(d|d)d/B/ AA/B/|d>B d2:|

Subject: Lyr Add: SUGAR HILL
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 09 Mar 01 - 08:47 PM

Want to get your eye knocked out?
Want to get your fill?
Want to get your eye knocked out?
Go on to Sugar Hill.

Grab your banjo off the wall
Get your gui-tar, Bill
Hitch your horses to the sled
Goin' to Sugar hill

Gettin' lonesome for my gal
Want a drink of rye,
Goin' down to Sugar Hill
Or know the reason why.

(and you can add verses from Blue-eyed Gal or Bile them Cabbage Down or some versions of Liza Jane.)

(from the singing of John "Dad" Crocket on a long-out-of-print Brunswick record called "Mountain Frolic". Some nice banjo picking.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sugar Hill
From: GUEST,Rick
Date: 30 Jun 10 - 02:28 PM

If there's anyone out there still paying attention to this thread, the Port Angeles, WA band Deadwood Revival does a dynamite take on Sugar Hill, and a live version is available on their (fairly recent) album Sat 7:30.

And no, I've got no economic stake here, just a guy who likes this sort of thing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sugar Hill
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 12 - 09:14 AM

Got my Attention... just purchased a CD at the Dollar General Store with "Sugar Hill" love it and want to sing it for Karaoke if I could just find a Karaoke version of this tune ,,, the verses are endless.... CD "Bluegrass Favorites" for a dollar, best dollar I ever spent on music.... my email if you find more info on this tune. [e-mail]

Want to get your eye knocked out?
Want to get your fill?
Want to get your head cut off?
Climb on Sugar Hill.

five cents in my pocket change
two dollars in my bill
if I had ten dollars more
I'd climb on Sugar Hill.

That blue jay and the spare hawk
had a little fight together
fought all around the briar patch and never churped a feather.